Corner joinder of channelled frames



May 1-1,l 1965 R. c. RooT 3,182,771

CORNER JOINDER OF CHANNELLED FRAMES Filed Dec. 16, 1963 United States Patent Oii ice 3,182,771 Patented May A11, 1965 3,182,771 CORNER JOINDER F CHANNELLED FRAMES Raymond C. Root, Columbus, Nebr., assignor to Loup Engineering Corporation, Columbus, Nebr., a corporation of N ebraslra Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,967 Claims. (Cl. 189-36) This invention relates to the joinder of two intersecting channelled frames at a corner by means of a contractable connector.

In the framing of thin planar panels, as in glaziery, it is oftentimes necessary to join the intersecting frames surrounding the planar panel at a sharp corner. Channelled rails have become increasingly utilized as frames because the surrounding planar panels e.g. glass plate, may be securely bound within the internal confines of the channelled rails without the use of separate auxiliary holding means e.g. plastic substances, holding brackets, etc.

Channelled rails are commonly used by glaziers in the assembly and installation of bathroom equipment c g. tub and shower enclosures of glass or plastic panels. While strength characteristics of the framed structure including frame members in rigid linear and coplanar relationship is of primary importance, it is also desirable in such installations that the frame structure have aesthetic appeal including neat, tight, bevelled frame corners. Aesthetic appeal requires that the intersecting frames be in near perfeet conterminous tight abutment; this requirement is dificult to achieve at the installation site with the portable tools available to the glazier, who from unsized rail stock must oftentimes size, cut, bevel, and connect four intersecting frames together about the planar panel. In the furtherance of aesthetic appeal, it is necessary that the intersecting frames be held in corner engagement with a minimum of visible connecting paraphernalia.

In the quest for maximum aesthetic appeal consistent with acceptable strength characteristics, VVframe connecting paraphernalia relied upon by the glaziery trade has been almost exclusively of the simple angle iron construction. In the prevalent case wherein the frame members are to intersect one another perpendicularly, the angle irons have two perpendicular legs, each of which is adaptable for rigid attachment against the internal contines of a channelled frame. In the L type angle iron the legs are unitarily joined together at a sharp 90 degree intersection; in

the gusset type angle iron the perpendicular legs are unitarily joined together by an intervening oblique member. Upon secure attachment of the perpendicularlegs to the channelled rails, both types provide rigidly perpendicular and coplanar frame members. Even in the case of perfectly bevelled rails, a neat tight corner will result only if the angle iron legs are attached at very precise positions (within ve thousandths of an inch) along the internal connes of the channelled rails; normally, this is accomplished with screws or other holding means visibly passing through the channelled rail, Since it is at least as diicult for a glazier using portable equipment at the installation site to preciselyposition the angle iron legs, as it is to size, cut, and bevel the channelled rail, these cumulative errors make neat tight conterminous corners extremely ditlicult to achieve. Since rigid attachment with angle irons normally requires at least two independently positioned screws per angle iron leg (four screws per corner), not only is there inherent error in the independent positioning, but further the aesthetic appeal exposed surfaces of both rails is signicantly diminished.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a neat tight conterminous corner juncture of two abutting bevelled channelled rails with a uitary contractable connector littting wholly within the internal confines of the abutting rails so as not to interfere with a planar panel bounded thereby.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a neat tight conterminous corner junctureA of two abutting bevelled channelled rails, one of the rails having a smooth regular exterior surface uninterrupted by holding means for the rail connector.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide as the rail connector one that may be secured to both rails so as to provide rigidly perpendicular rails without requiring a plurality of precisely positioned independent holding means for each rail connection.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for two abutting bevelled channelled rails a unitary contractable connector which in its secure attachment to one of the rails with a single screw simultaneously draws them tightly into a neat tight conterrninous corner while at the same time establishing the abutting rails in rigidly planar and linear relationship as determined by the abutting bevelled rails.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by means of a novel dimensionally contractable connector for the abutting bevelled channelled rails, the connector securely attachable to the internal contines of both rails with but a single exteriorly visible holding means, said holding means when applied having the ability to establish the bevelled rails in rigid linear and coplanar relationship while simultaneously drawing the abutting rails in a tight neat conterminous corner juncture.

In the drawing:

FIGURE l is a front view, with portions cut away to show constructional details, of two bevelled channelled rails joined together at a corner with the dimensionally contractable connector.

FIGURE 2 is a top view, with portions cut away to show oonstructional details, of the FIGURE 1 corner construction.

FIGURE 3 illustrates, in transverse section 3 3 of FIGf URE l, a detail partial side view of the corner construction.

In FIGURE 1, two longitudinally symmetrical rails of identical cross-section including channelled horizontal top rail 12 and channelled vertical side rail 11 are held in abutment at a bevelled corner junction 10 by means of the dimensionally contracted unitary connector device 13. A iirst leg 14 of connector 13 is secured against the inner base 40 of vertical rail 11 by means of deformed serrations 15 wedged tightly against the internal side walls of vertical rail 11. A terminal portion 16 of first leg 14is upturned into the contines of and tits tightly between the internal side walls 24 lof horizontal top rail 12. Intersecting rst leg 14 at an acute angle and integrally joined thereto at bifurcation 17 is second leg 18 which possesses a perforate minor medial section 19 within the internal confines of top rail 12 and which is substantially parallel to the internal base 50 of the top rail. A terminal section 20 of second leg 18 tits tightly between internal side walls 24 and is held in perpendicular abutment against internal base 50 by means of self-tapping screw 23 passing through perforation 22 of top rail 12 and through perforation 21 of minor medial section 19. Attachment of self-tapping screw 23 through perforations 22 and 21 provides a leftward contraction of secondleg 18 toward rst leg 14.

In FIGURE 2, the cross-sectional shape of the identical rails 11 and 12 is shown. The widest portion of the internal surface is the respective rail bases 40 -and 50; internal side walls e.g. 24, slope inwardly so as to securely accommodate a thinner planar panel, not shown herein. Terminal portion 16 of first leg 14 is secured tightly between the internal side walls of top rail 12.

In FIGURE 3, first leg 14 is shown wedged tightly between the internal side walls 24 of vertical side rail 11 by means of deformed serrations 15, the originalundeformed contour of which is shown in dotted line.

The top and side rails .are maintained in rigid linear and c'oplanar relationship by the serrated first leg 1d tightly secured between the internal sidewalls of side rail 11 and by the combination of first leg terminal portion 16 and second leg terminal section both of which are tightly secured between the internal sidewalls of top rail 12. Because it is desirable that at least three distinct portions of the connector be of the same width as the internal bases of the channelled rails, the connector may further be economically formed of one rectangular strip of metal.l

The preferred method of utilizing the dimensionally contractable connector is as follows. Connector iirst leg 14 is forced between the internal side walls 24 of bevelled side rail 11 at a position whereby the lirst leg terminal portion 16 extends beyond the rail bevelled end. The bevelled end of top rail 12 is placed in abutment against bevelled end of side rail 11 so as to enclose terminal portion 16 and terminal section 2t) within the 4internal confines of top rail 12. 1t is essential that a gap of at least %4 inch exist between the terminal section 20 and the top rail inner base t). Self-tapping screw 23 is applied through perforation 22 'of top rail 1?; and through perforation Z1 of minor medial Vsection 19. As this is done, screw 23 applies tension along second leg 1S and first 'pulls terminal section Zin substantially perpendicular abutment against top rail inner base 5) so as to constitute a fulcrum at the abutment. 'Continued tension applied through the screw 23 contracts the second leg 13 of the connector 13 leftwardly and upwardly about the fulcrum and toward iirst leg 14 thus pulling along the top rail 12 tightly against bevelled end of side rail 11. Thereafter continued tension applied through the screw 23 renders the bevelled ends neatly conterminous.

While it is essential in the use 'of the prior art angle iron constructions to perforate the channelled rails precisely to within about live thousandths of an inch to provide tight neat corners of even perfectly bevelled rails, the contractable connector device of the present invention is suici'ently adjustable that the single perforation required therefor may be positioned with much greater tolerance ie.V one hundred thousandths of an inch.

For most commonly encountered frame structures, the 'frame members are desired in perpendicular relationship to one another. However, provided that the bevelled ends are formed of the appropriate angle, the contractable connector of the present invention is adaptable for similarly securing frame members in whatever angular relationship desired. For non perpendicular frame members, the uncontracted second leg terminal section should be substantially perpendicular to the internal base of the rail `by which it is enclosed.

Thus, the contractable connector device can be seen to provide a neat tight conterminous corner juncture of two abutting bevelled channelled rails while at the same time rigidly securing the abutting rails in a predetermined linear and coplanar relationship. The contractable connector fits wholly within the internal confines of the channelled rails so `as to not interfere with a thin planar panel enclosed by the rails. The contractable connector requires but one exteriorly visible holding means at the juncture, one rail thus having a completely smooth exterior surface. The contractable nature of the connector disposes with the need for highly precisioned bevel lines and holding means perforations, thus enabling the gla'zier to accomplish factory quality work with the use of comparatively simple portable tools.

I claim:

l. A corner juncture comprising: a channelled vertical side rail having a bevelle'd end and a channelled top rail having a bevelled end, said bevelled ends being conterminously joined together rigidly by means of an angular connector wholly within the internal contines of said channelled rails said angular connector comprising: two distinct integral legs intersecting at an acute angle including:

(a) a first leg a major portion thereof held in secure frictional engagement between the internal side walls of the vertical rail, said first leg having a terminal portion extending into and secured in friotional engagement between the internal side walls of the top rail, and

(b) a second leg having three sections in order:

(l) a major section immediately adjacent to said acute angle intersection and extending into the internal contines of said top rail,

(2) a perforate minor medial section substantially parallel to said top rail internal base, and

(3) a minor terminal section substantially perpendicular to said perforate minor medial section and being firmly held against said top rail internal base by tension means.

2. The corner juncture of claim 1 wherein the top and side rails are substantially perpendicular to each other and wherein t-he second leg minor medial section is substantially perpendicular to said vertical side rail.

3. An angular connector comprising two integral legs intersecting at an acute angle comprising: a rst leg, a major portion thereof beingv linear and serrated along its edge, a terminal portion of said iirst leg opposite said acute angle intersection being upturned toward the second leg, said second leg having three sections in order:

(a) a major section immediately adjacent to said acute angle intersection,

(b) a perforate minor medial section, and

(c) a minor terminal section substantially perpendicular to said perforate minor medial section.

4. The angular connector of claim 3 wherein the perforate minor medial section is substantially perpendicular to said first leg.

5. The angular connector of claim 3 wherein the angular connector is formed of a unitary rectangular strip of flexible structural material.

No references cited.

RCHARD COGKE, IR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A CORNER JUNCTURE COMPRISING: A CHANNELLED VERTICAL SIDE RAIL HAVING A BEVELLED END AND A CHANNELLED TOP RAIL HAVING A BEVELLED END, SAID BEVELLED ENDS BEING CONTERMINOUSLY JOINED TOGETHER RIGIDLY BY MEANS OF AN ANGUALR CONNECTOR WHOLLY WITHIN THE INTERNAL CONFINES OF SAID CHANNELLED RAILS SAID ANGUALR CONNECTOR COMPRISING: TWO DISTINCT INTEGRAL LEGS INTERSECTING AT AN ARCUTE ANGLE INCLUDING: (A) A FIRST LEG A MAJOR PORTION THEREOF HELD IN SECUREFRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL SIDE WALLS OF THE VERTICAL RAIL, SAID FIRST LEG HAVING A TERMINAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO AND SECURED IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL SIDE WALL OF THE TOP RAIL, AND (B) A SECOND LEG HAVING THREE SECTIONS IN ORDER: (1) A MAJOR SECTION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SAID ACUTE ANGLE INTERSECTION AND EXTENDING INTO THE INTERNAL CONFINES OF SAID TOP RAIL, (2) A PERFORATE MINOR MEDIAL SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TOP RAIL INTERNAL BASE, AND (3) A MINOR TERMINAL SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PERFORATE MINOR MEDIAL SECTION AND BEING FIRMLY HELD AGAINST SAID TOP RAIL INTERNAL BASE BY TENSION MEANS. 